


Between The Rock and A Hard Place

by heyjupiter



Series: Meanwhile, Back on the Ranch [2]
Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Alternate Universe - Western, F/M, Gen, M/M, this is barely RPF because Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is barely a real person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-28 07:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2724458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjupiter/pseuds/heyjupiter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moira MacTaggert and her ranchhand Logan have been struggling to make ends meet. When Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wants to spend some time on a real ranch to prepare for a cowboy film role, Moira figures it's the perfect opportunity for them to make some quick cash. She doesn't expect for it to lead to love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between The Rock and A Hard Place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pocky_slash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocky_slash/gifts).



> To Kait: this story is out of control, just like my affection for you.
> 
> Thanks to pearl_o for beta reading!
> 
> Apologies to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. I hope you never read this, but if you do: please understand that this weird work of fiction is born only out of the deepest respect and affection for you and your body of work.

"Logan, you want a beer?" Moira asked.

"Always," Logan said, accepting the can with a nod. He drained it in two long sips and said, "I'll just get cleaned up for dinner, then, and you can ask me whatever it is you're nervous about asking me."

"I'm not going to _ask_ you anything," Moira said, irritated but not surprised that Logan had noticed. "I'm going to _tell_ you something, and I just think the whole thing will go a lot smoother if you've had a few drinks."

Logan laughed and tipped the brim of his cowboy hat forward. "Couldn't hurt," he agreed. He put the empty can in the recycling bin before heading upstairs to his quarters. Moira checked the oven. When she'd hired Logan as a ranch hand, after her husband's death, she'd promised to provide room and board. He was a remarkably un-fussy eater, which was fine. Moira didn't usually have the time to get fancy in the kitchen. Tonight she was making literal meat and potatoes, which was Logan's favorite, as far as she could tell.

She set the table and re-read her email, making sure she was prepared with pertinent facts of the contract she'd signed. Logan came back downstairs, marginally less sweaty but no more personable. He joined Moira in the kitchen, took another beer out of the fridge, and said, "Well?"

"We'll discuss it over dinner, like civilized people."

"Well. If we must." Logan took his beer and sat down with a very full plate. 

Moira waited until he'd had a few bites and said, "Now. Logan. I'll be blunt."

"Please do."

"You do excellent work as a ranch hand. You came highly recommended by Charles, and I can see why."

Logan nodded. "But…"

" _But_ the ranch is still just barely solvent. It's getting harder and harder for family ranches to stay in business. And Shaw has been buying up all the land out here for years."

"Oh, Moira, tell me you're not selling to that asshole?"

" _No_. This ranch has been in the MacTaggert family for generations. I'll do whatever it takes to keep it." She took a deep breath. "I recently received a very intriguing offer. Which I've already accepted. I… a famous actor is preparing for a role as a cowboy, in an upcoming movie. He wanted to get some experience on a real ranch. And his agent contacted us to see if we'd host him, show him the ropes. They're prepared to pay handsomely for our expertise."

"So you want me to teach some pretty-boy Hollywood type how to be a real cowboy?"

"Yes. Now, I know you already have a lot of work around here, of course, but it's good money. Very good money. And we're already done with the haying. And who knows, he might even be helpful."

Logan shrugged. He took a bite of steak, chewed thoughtfully, and said, "Yeah, now's better than in the spring, that's for sure."

"Exactly!" Moira said, happy that he wasn't outright rejecting the idea.

"For how long?"

"Two weeks. And I'll give you 10% of what he's paying us, just as a bonus. And the rest will go toward keeping us in business, so I can continue to pay you. And feed you, for that matter."

"Well, I guess I'd rather have this than ostriches."

"Ostriches?"

"Didn't you hear? The Frosts got a whole flock of ostriches last year. Supposed to be good, lean meat. Not worth the trouble, if you ask me."

"Oh?"

"Nasty birds, ostriches."

Moira decided not to ask how Logan knew this. Instead, she said, "Don't you want to know who it is?"

"I don't really keep up with Hollywood. Doesn't matter to me. Need me to pick him up at the airport?"

"That would be very helpful, thank you."

"When's he getting in?"

"Next week, I think. Depending on his schedule."

"Well. Just write it on the calendar," Logan said. He stood from the table, washed his plate, and went upstairs to do whatever it was Logan did when he wasn't taking care of MacTaggert Ranch.

Moira breathed a relieved sigh and sent an email to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's agent, inquiring about Mr. Johnson's travel plans.

* * *

The following Tuesday, Logan rose at dawn, as usual. He went to the stables and took care of the horses. He'd filled all the cattle water troughs the day before, so everything else could wait until he'd finished his next unpleasant task. He figured fetching movie stars was probably better than shoveling manure, but worst than most other jobs around the ranch. Still, he liked working for Moira, and he figured that if she wanted him to do this, there must be pretty good reason. He could suck it up and watch over some inept wannabe rancher for two weeks. It wouldn't be the worst thing he'd ever had to do to make a living, not by a longshot.

He grabbed his thermos of coffee and the sign Moira had made and went to his cantankerous pickup. It started on the second try, and he made the hour and a half drive to the Cheyenne Regional Airport without incident. He parked and went inside to wait near the baggage claim. Moira's sign said JOHNSON, which seemed pretty vague. But then, it wasn't a big airport. 

Overhead, an electronic sign informed him that flight 2955 had landed, and passengers began trickling past baggage claim. Logan slouched by the door and waited for some pretty Hollywood-looking guy, but no one came. Eventually, he saw a huge, bald man making slow progress across the airport. He was surrounded by a small group of people. He was gamely posing for cell phone pictures with them, so Logan figured he was probably the movie star. Logan didn't recognize his face, but he wasn't up on pop culture.

Logan took a moment to size him up. The presumed movie star was taller than Logan--which didn't take much--but he was taller than everyone else there, too. He had to be at least 6'5", a foot taller than Logan. Under a leather jacket, he was wearing an incredibly tight T-shirt that revealed that the guy was also more muscular than Logan, which _was_ saying something. At least, Logan thought, he looked like someone who could do some heavy lifting. Maybe he wouldn't be totally useless.

Then the man noticed Logan's sign, nodded at Logan, and waved goodbye to his admirers. He crossed the airport briskly and shook Logan's hand. "You must be Logan. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"You're Dwayne, then?"

Dwayne smiled, and Logan understood why this man was a movie star. It was quite a smile. "That's me."

"You got a bag or anything?" Logan asked, nodding at the baggage carousel.

"Just this," Dwayne said, tapping a backpack. "I travel light, when I can."

"Good. Let's go, then. Daylight's burning."

He led Dwayne out to the parking lot. If the man was disappointed in Logan's vehicle, he didn't show it. Instead he asked, "So, Logan, how long have you been working on Ms. MacTaggert's ranch?"

"Mm, guess about three years now."

"How about before that? Did you grow up on a farm?"

"I've done a lot of things," Logan said. "How 'bout you? You ever worked a ranch?"

"If I had, I wouldn't be here, would I?" Dwayne said, with a hearty laugh. "No, I never have. But when I commit to a role, I want to give it 110%. I want everything to seem as real as possible, you know?"

"Mm," Logan grunted.

"Do you watch a lot of Western movies? John Wayne, all that?"

"Nah. Too much like work."

Dwayne laughed. He seemed to find Logan very entertaining. "So what _do_ you do for fun?"

"Drink, mostly."

Dwayne accepted that answer. He stared out the window for a long while before saying, "Beautiful country around here."

"Mm."

That time, Dwayne accepted Logan's non-reply as a cue to end the conversation, and they spent the rest of the drive home in silence. Logan appreciated a man who knew how to keep quiet. Maybe Mr. Hollywood wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

That evening, Moira prepared dinner. Dwayne's agent had sent a detailed description of the star's diet. It involved a _lot_ of protein. It really wasn't very different from cooking for Logan, although Dwayne seemed to eat more vegetables. She wondered what it would be like to have dinner with a movie star, and then supposed she wouldn't have to wonder much longer. 

She'd met Dwayne briefly, when he'd gotten back from the airport and Logan had gruffly pointed out the guest room. Dwayne had dropped off his backpack and followed Logan out to the barn. Logan had said they'd check some fences, an easy enough task for a first-time ranch hand. She was relieved at how smoothly it all seemed to be going. She was certain she wouldn't get paid if their movie star guest died in a tragic farm accident.

Just as Moira was starting to worry, she heard the front door open. Logan came in and tipped his hat to her, like usual. She still wasn't sure if he did it to be ironic or not. It might have just been an ingrained habit; Logan didn't possess a lot of irony. Dwayne followed behind him, in his sock feet.

"Good evening," she said. "How was your first day on the ranch?"

"Oh, just fine. I left my shoes on the porch so I don't stink up your house, ma'am."

"Oh, please, don't call me ma'am! Moira is fine. Anyway, that's very thoughtful, but you don't have to worry about that," Moira said. "I'm sure your shoes don't smell any worse than Logan's."

Dwayne winced and said, "I may have stepped in a fairly large pile of manure."

"Oh, yes. You'll have that. On a cattle ranch," Moira said. _Shit_ , she thought. _I probably shouldn't get sarcastic with our movie star guest!_

But Dwayne laughed, good-naturedly. "Yep. Well, it's my fault. Logan warned me to keep my eyes open, but I just got a little distracted."

"Ah, well. Happens to everybody. Dinner's ready whenever you guys are."

"I'll just need a few moments to wash up," Dwayne said. Logan had already gone upstairs, having apparently concluded that his presence was not necessary for the conversation at hand.

Moira set the table and waited for Logan and Dwayne to join her. They both took very full plates of food.

Dwayne said, "Smells delicious! Thank you for cooking."

"Well, you're quite welcome," Moira said. She was impressed that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson had better manners than Logan, but then, she supposed that was a pretty low bar.

"So, Nick told me this ranch has been in your family for generations?" Dwayne asked, after devouring several bites of rare steak.

"Well. Not my family, actually. My late husband's family. But he was an only child, and when he died, I inherited it."

"Ah. Sorry to hear about your husband."

"Thank you," Moira said, appreciating that he didn't ask for details. "I hired Logan shortly after my husband's death. This place is small enough--as far as ranches go--that we can get by with two people, barely, but with one it was impossible."

"I can see that! It's hard work out here, isn't it?"

"It's a living," Logan said.

"It's a different kind of life," Moira agreed. "I used to work in academia, if you can believe it, but I moved out here with Joe after we got married, and… at first I wasn't sure I'd like it, and I was still trying to do some teaching online. But there wasn't enough time… and now, well, I don't think I could ever go back to spending all my days in some lab indoors."

Dwayne nodded. "It's beautiful country up here," he said sincerely.

"That it is," Moira agreed. The table fell silent again, and she asked, "Have you ever ridden a horse?"

"Uh, well, I did for the movie _Hercules_. We had a trainer show us the ropes. Of course, a stunt rider did all the impressive stuff."

"Ah," Moira said. "I'm afraid I didn't see that one."

Dwayne shrugged. "I'll have Nick send you a DVD."

"That would be very kind, thank you," Moira said. "Who did you play?"

Dwayne paused for a fraction of a second before saying, apologetically, "Hercules."

"Well. Congratulations," Moira said. "You'll have to forgive me, we really don't get out much around here."

Dwayne smiled. "Believe me, that's just fine. It's a welcome break from all the craziness of Hollywood."

At the end of a perfectly pleasant dinner, Logan and Dwayne excused themselves. Moira tidied up the kitchen and sent a quick email to Nick Fury to let him know that his client had arrived and been properly fed.

* * *

The next morning, Logan got up at 4:30am like usual. He went to go wake up the movie star for a day of work, but was surprised to find his bed empty. He went down to the kitchen and found Dwayne at the counter with a glass of disgusting green sludge.

"Morning," Dwayne said cheerfully. "Moira told me you usually started out for the day at 5, but I wanted to get some cardio in before that."

Logan raised his eyebrows and said, "All right." He silently started his pot of coffee and opened the fridge. "You want eggs?"

"I'd love some, thank you. Would you like a green smoothie?"

"Nope," Logan said. He scrambled a dozen eggs, figuring, correctly, that between the two of them they wouldn't go to waste. They ate silently. Logan filled his thermos with coffee. Moira came down around 5 and looked surprised to see them there.

"Oh, good, good. I just wanted to make sure you two have everything you need. I'm going to run into town this morning for some groceries and vaccines. I'll get started on vaccinating the cattle when I get back, but I could use your help if you can spare it."

Logan nodded. "We were gonna finish up checking the fences along the northern edge of the pastures, but we should be able to meet back up with you after lunch."

"Great, thanks."

"Dwayne? You need anything from town?"

"No, thank you."

"Well, call my cell if you think of anything. Have a good morning out there!"

"You do the same," Dwayne replied.

Logan washed his breakfast plate and made a stack of sandwiches for lunch. "All right. Ready to hit the trail?"

"Yeah, let's move," Dwayne said. Logan led the way back to the stables, where they gathered up their fence-mending supplies and saddled up their horses.

"Does everybody still use horses? I thought maybe that was just in the movies," Dwayne said.

Logan shrugged. "A lot of bigger operations will use trucks or ATVs to get around, and we do some of that too. But there's not a good road out along the fenceline, so the horses do better. Plus, we like 'em."

"All right! Good to hear. We've got horses in the movie, but I wasn't sure how accurate that was."

"Well, the horses are fine. Not sure how much else is accurate, since day to day around here is pretty boring. Either you got a boring movie, or it ain't realistic."

Dwayne laughed. "I've never done a boring movie in my life, Logan."

"Well, then it's probably not realistic. But most movies aren't, I s'pose."

They passed the morning quietly mending fences. Occasionally, Dwayne would ask questions about how something was done, and Logan would answer. 

The only eventful moment came when Logan cut his thumb on an awkwardly-placed bit of barbed wire. "Shit," he said, and wiped his bleeding thumb on his jeans.

Dwayne asked, "You need a Band-Aid or something?"

"Nah, it'll stop in just a sec."

"You sure? Looks kinda deep."

Logan wiped his thumb again, revealing perfectly mended skin. "Nah."

"Oh, wow, are you a mutant or something?"

"Yeah," Logan said. Dwayne had sounded impressed, not repulsed, so he didn't figure it was worth saying more than that.

"Wow. You could be making a _killing_ as a stunt man."

Logan laughed, and nothing more was until they reached the northwest corner of the pasture. "Guess it's about time for lunch," Logan observed.

Dwayne nodded and accepted the paper bag of sandwiches Logan provided. They ate quickly and quietly. 

"I'm gonna take a quick smoke break," Logan said. "You want one?"

"No, thanks. My lungs don't heal themselves. I mean, wait, do yours? Or is it just skin?"

"It's everything," Logan said. He politely stepped away from Dwayne, making sure the wind would blow the smoke away from his temporary colleague. He savored the smoke for a calming ten minutes. Then he stamped out the butt and turned to Dwayne, who'd pulled an odd-looking book out of his bag and was reading it. Logan realized it was a script. He wondered if it was for Dwayne's cowboy movie, or something else.

"You ready to get back to it? We can take a longer break if you need." Moira had sternly reminded him not to kill the movie star, but Logan knew he didn't have a very good sense of what regular humans could do. He wasn't entirely sure Dwayne counted as a normal human, however.

"Nah, I'm fine."

"You're a good worker," Logan said, which was about the highest compliment he knew to give. "If the whole Hollywood thing doesn't work out, you could find work out here, easy."

"Thank you," Dwayne said. "I appreciate that." Then he got back on his horse and followed Logan back to the barn.

* * *

Moira paced the kitchen, staring at her cell phone. It wasn't like her to be so inactive. So… fearful. She had learned countless new skills and done them all well. She'd learned to ride a horse and inject a cow. She'd killed snakes and helped birth calves. She'd gone to cattle auctions and made deals and gotten government grants. She'd done whatever it had taken to keep the ranch afloat. She could certainly make a phone call.

She decided to make a mug of tea before she made the phone call. Then, as soon as she put the kettle on to boil, she cursed her cowardice and hit dial. She was rewarded for her trouble with a message: "You've reached Nick Fury, with Shield Talent Agency. If it's important, leave me a message. If it's not, fuck off."

She took a deep breath and said, "Hi, Nick, this is Moira, from MacTaggert Ranch, and I just, uh… I think Dwayne is going to need to reschedule his flight out, due to some unexpected snow. When you get a chance, give me a call back and we can get that all worked out. Thanks. Bye."

 _There_ , she thought, as the kettle whistled. That hadn't been so bad. Of course, she hadn't exactly mentioned the part where, following a freak early blizzard, international star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was trapped in a snowbank somewhere on her property. But she'd gotten across the important information: his flight would definitely need to be rescheduled.

She put a teabag in her mug and waited. Her phone rang before the tea steeped. "Hello?"

"Ms. MacTaggert, it's Nick. I'm glad you called, I haven't been able to get ahold of Dwayne."

"Ah… signal out here can be spotty."

"Of course. So Dwayne needs to reschedule his flight?"

"Yes. I think flights are grounded out of Cheyenne for the rest of the day, but we won't be able to get into the city for probably another few days at least, not until the roads get cleared. And it stops snowing."

"I see. So when do you think he'll be able to get out?"

"Hard to say. I'll give you a call when the roads are clear."

"Is that the only option? I could arrange for a private flight--"

Moira laughed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have laughed. Are you in LA, Nick?"

"Yes, of course."

"Have you ever _been_ to Wyoming?"

"No, I can't say that I have."

"Well, there's nowhere for a private plane to land out here. And there's nothing we can do to clear the roads or anything, not until the snow stops falling and we all get a chance to catch up on our digging."

"I see. Well, I suppose Dwayne can phone into our meeting tomorrow. Will you have him call me? I'm not sure if he's been getting my messages."

"Yes, definitely, I will have him call you as soon as I see him," Moira said.

"Thank you, I appreciate that." There was a pause, and the conversation should have ended there. Instead, Nick said, "Does this happen a lot? This kind of snowfall?"

"Oh, well, not usually so early in the year, though it's not unheard of. We've had some crazy weather the last few years… global climate change is no joke, and we're definitely seeing the effects here."

"Huh," Nick said, thoughtfully. 

"The real trouble is it can cause landslides. We really need to cap emissions now, before things get completely unlivable. Ugh, sorry, I'm ranting."

"That's okay. I'm interested. Do you all have power? How do you live when the snow's like this?"

"Oh, we've got a backup generator and plenty of fuel. We always make sure to have extra supplies laid in for times like this. We're pretty self-sufficient, really."

"I can see that," Nick said. His tone sounded admiring, and he seemed actually interested in what she had to say. They talked for a long time about ranching, and the weather, and cowboy movies, and all kinds of things.

The longer their conversation went on, the more Moira felt bad for misleading him. He seemed like a good guy--a real straight shooter, which Moira admired. But Dwayne would be _fine_. He was with Logan, and there was nobody better prepared to handle this kind of situation. It would just worry Nick unnecessarily if he knew that Dwayne was, temporarily, out of reach of the house with its cozy fireplace and backup generator. 

Finally, Nick said, "It's been good talking to you, Moira, but I should really get going to this goddamn casting meeting for some goddamn sitcom. I've been putting it off because I have no interest in attending, but I suppose it's my job."

"You should tell them you're snowed in."

Nick laughed. "That's a great idea. Honestly, I wish I were there, snowed in with you."

"Me too," Moira said. "You should come visit, after we get un-snowed in."

"That sounds nice. Ugh, I really have to go. Please tell Dwayne to call me ASAP."

"Will do. Bye!"

The line went dead, and Moira felt a tinge of disappointment. She supposed she was a little lonely--usually the only person she talked to on a daily basis was Logan, and he was a) a terrible conversationalist and b) currently trapped in a snowbank. That must be why she'd enjoyed talking to Nick Fury so much. She just hoped that if she got the chance to talk to him again, it wouldn't be to notify him that Dwayne The Rock Johnson was officially a missing person. (He wasn't missing. She knew exactly where he was.)

She plugged in her cell phone and went to check the weather radio again. The snow was supposed to stop within the next ten hours, after which they should have somewhere from 10-14 inches of snow. Not for the first time, Moira wished she were a mutant, too--one who could predict the weather. Or better yet, control it. 

Since she wasn't, she put a few more logs on the fire and settled in to wait out the storm.

* * *

Just for fun, Logan tried turning the truck's key again. Still nothing.

"What, your truck hasn't healed itself?" Dwayne asked.

"Even if it had, we couldn't drive in this. Not till the storm dies down, anyway." Logan exhaled. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for getting you into this. But we'll be fine. Weather radio says it should stop in the next… five to ten hours, and when it does, I'll get help. And Moira will help. When the sun goes down… it'll be worse. But we've got our coats, the emergency blanket, and the rest of the emergency kit." He was glad Moira had thrown it in the back of the truck. "We'll be okay. The important thing is, we should stay in the truck. Right now we're both dry, which is good. Besides, if we get out, the way it's blowin' out there… might not find it again."

Dwayne nodded. "I trust you," he said. He was shivering slightly, but that was fine. Meant his body was still trying to warm itself up. 

"Good. You should."

"Logan, if we get out of this--"

" _When_ we get out of this."

"Right. When we get out of this, I'm gonna buy you a new truck."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with this truck," Logan said reflexively. "Except the alternator. And maybe the coolant line. Anyway, ain't the truck's fault there was a blizzard."

"I know, I know."

They sat quietly and listened to the wind howl outside. "Hey. You should tuck your hands into your armpits. It conserves heat better."

Dwayne nodded and complied.

"Sorry. I should have said earlier."

"You know, Logan, I've been here for two weeks now, and I think this is the most you've said to me."

"I'm not much of a talker," Logan said, because he wasn't. "Uh, sorry," he said, because that seemed right.

"Nah, it's fine. Usually… everybody wants something from me, you know? An autograph, a picture, my time. You don't want anything."

"Hmm," Logan said, noncommittally. He looked over at Dwayne's face. At his lips, which were faintly bluish. He thought about that, and said nothing. 

Before long, the sun went down, and the mostly-dark sky became fully dark. The wind continued to howl. Logan glanced over at Dwayne. It was hard to see, but Logan thought his eyes were shut. He reached over and tapped the other man. "Hey. Dwayne. Buddy. You should stay awake."

"Mm? Sorry… s'cold," Dwayne said, his teeth chattering.

"Yeah. I know. Hey. C'mere," Logan said. Dwayne looked at him but didn't move, so Logan scooted over next to him. He put an arm around the huge man. Dwayne responded and tucked Logan under his shoulder, into his armpit, really. 

"You're warm," Dwayne mumbled.

"Yeah. It's part of my mutation."

"That's nice."

"Mm-hmm."

Logan curled deeper against Dwayne. He was so firm and solid. Dwayne let out a small sigh. 

"Glad you're here," Dwayne said.

"Same."

Dwayne reached out and touched Logan's face with a gloved hand. Logan took in a sharp breath. "Sorry," Dwayne said. He retracted his hand.

"No, it's… we should conserve warmth."

"I m-mean, I guess I misread the situation."

"No."

"What?"

Logan sighed and tipped his head up and over toward Dwayne, who leaned down and met his kiss. His lips were cold, but they parted and the inside of his mouth was warm.

They separated and Dwayne said, "Wow," while Logan muttered, "Shit."

"What?" Dwayne said. "I thought it was good."

"No, uh, it was… it was real good, just… I don't…"

"What? You're not gay?" Dwayne asked, his tone not quite heated.

"No, I mean… I mean, I've been with men before, it's just…" 

"Talk, Logan. You have to talk sometimes."

Logan turned into Dwayne's chest and whispered, "I… care about you, but…"

Dwayne squeezed Logan's shoulder. "But?"

"C'mon. Really?"

"Really. What?" Dwayne asked. His voice was shaky with the cold, but still low and pleasant. "What, Logan?"

Logan didn't like that he liked the sound of his name coming out of Dwayne's lips. "I don't… you're going to go back to LA tomorrow, or as soon as the roads are cleared. And I… I'll be here."

"Well. There are other planes," Dwayne said. He sounded amused. He often seemed amused by Logan.

"I just--this is temporary, for you. Two weeks of playing cowboy, and then you leave. And you're probably just delirious from the-the cold."

Dwayne pulled Logan in tighter and said, "Ever since I became an actor… my whole life is pretend. You're real."

Logan sucked in another breath and kissed Dwayne again. He didn't have the strength to refuse a second time. And besides, it was certainly a good way to stay warm.

* * *

Moira slept poorly. As confident as she was that Logan and Dwayne would be fine, it was still hard to stomach being alone in the warm house, knowing they were out in the elements. As soon as the sun came up, she dressed and peered out the windows. The snow was deep, but it wasn't snowing anymore. Best of all, the wind had stopped. It was a beautiful, dazzling day.

Moira packed a backpack full of emergency supplies, including her weather radio, cell phone, and compass. She put on more layers and went out to the shed, where she methodically attached the snowplow to the Bobcat and set out toward the northeast corner of the pasture. She hadn't driven the Bobcat much--it was usually Logan's job--but when they'd bought it, she had made sure to learn all the steps herself in case of emergency. It was satisfying to watch the snow part in front of her. She felt like Moses, but with snow. _Snow Moses_ , she thought, and laughed to herself. Her next thought was that she really did need to get out more.

It was slow-going, but eventually she made her way up the road. She saw Logan's truck broken down in the middle of it, halfway back from the machine shop. She drove the Bobcat the rest of the way, feeling triumphant. She stopped just in front of the truck and hopped off. The truck's windows were fogged, from the men breathing in there all night. She opened the drivers' side door, happy to be there to rescue them. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to what she was seeing. No longer was she staring at dazzling white snow; she was watching her ranch hand going at it with Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

"Oh!" she said, and slammed the door. Moira liked to think of herself as unflappable, but it turned out she could be flapped. Luckily, she was wearing a balaclava and a scarf, so no one could tell she was blushing.

A moment later, Logan opened the door again. "Hey, Moira, good to see you," he said. 

"Uh… yeah. You too. Glad you two are okay. Looks like you stayed warm."

"Yup," Logan said smugly.

"So, do you guys want to come home, or are you comfortable out here?"

Logan snorted. He sized up the situation and said, "The truck's gonna need work before it can go anywhere, and the Bobcat only takes two passengers. Dwayne, why don't you ride back with Moira, and I'll walk back? Now that it's light out, it'll be fine. We're really not that far."

"Or you two ride back, and I'll walk," Moira offered.

"Nope. I'm the mutant. You two go," Logan said, nodding at Dwayne.

"Damn right I'll go. I'm Samoan, I'm not made for this," Dwayne said, squeezing Logan's hand before stepping out the passenger side of the truck and coming around to join them.

"Here," Moira said, offering chemical hand warmers. Dwayne and Logan both took them with thanks. "Now let's get you both back inside ASAP. Dwayne, your agent wants you to call him, by the way."

"I'll make sure to put that on my to-do list," Dwayne said. He hopped up onto the Bobcat and waved to Logan, who, truthfully, could walk about as fast as Moira could drive in these conditions. Still, they made it inside before Logan. 

Moira said, "It seems like you're in pretty good shape. What you're going to want to do is go upstairs and take a warm bath, let your body gradually warm back up. Check yourself for signs of frostbite--skin that will stay numb and discolored. Might be red, might be white. Could be black but that's really bad, probably you won't have any of that. Then dry off and put on some dry clothes, and we'll go from there."

"All right," Dwayne said. 

As he headed up the stairs, Moira added, "And then call your agent!" She heard him laugh and figured he'd be fine.

Then Logan finally trudged in the door. "Is he okay?" Logan called, taking off his boots in the mudroom before joining her.

"I just sent him upstairs for a warm bath. I think he'll be fine. Maybe more than fine?" Moira asked, raising her eyebrows at Logan.

He sighed. "You don't have to say anything, Moira, I know it was dumb."

"What? No, not dumb. I was wondering if anything was going to happen between you two. I'm glad it did."

Logan stared at her. She said, "What? You deserve to be happy once in awhile, Logan."

"Yeah, it makes me real happy to hook up with some movie star right before he goes back to Hollywood. He was probably just crazy from hypothermia anyway."

"I don't think so," Moira said. "I've eaten dinner with you guys for the last two weeks. He's totally into you. It's honestly adorable."

"No, he's just… friendly."

Moira snorted. "Is that what they call it, these days?"

Before Logan could reply, her phone rang. She glanced at it and saw that Nick was calling. "I have to take this, Logan. Why don't you go see if your _friend_ Dwayne needs any help treating his hypothermia?"

Logan rolled his eyes, but he went upstairs with a faint smile on his lips.

"Hello, Nick," she said, hoping she sounded casual.

* * *

"What's wrong, Logan?" Moira asked.

"Nothin'."

"Really."

Logan shifted on his feet. "Don't like flying," he admitted.

"Oh. Well, Nick arranged for us to fly first class."

"I know. It sounds fancy and all--"

Moira cut him off. "You get free booze in first class."

"That's all right, then."

A distorted voice announced that first class passengers were now welcome to board flight 1121 with service to Denver. Moira nudged him, and they showed their boarding passes and were guided to seats at the front of the plane. A flight attendant immediately fulfilled Logan's request for a Jack and Coke. He drank it and felt marginally more relaxed.

He hadn't lied to Moira--he didn't like flying. But he was also nervous about the trip. He'd talked and Skyped with Dwayne since he'd returned to LA six months ago. And Dwayne had come back to visit a few times--some of the filming for Dwayne's cowboy movie had been in Idaho, and he'd come out to Wyoming a few times for quick, whirlwind weekends. But this would be the first time Logan saw Dwayne in LA, in his world. And worst of all, he and Moira were supposed to attend the red carpet premiere of the film. He was going to have to wear a tux. People would want to take his photo. It would be _awful_.

Moira handed him a piece of gum. "For your ears," she said.

"What?"

"I mean, chew it, so your ears don't pop when we take off."

"Right. Thanks."

The plane took off without incident, and Logan moodily flipped through the in-flight magazine. The flight attendant brought him more booze. Finally, Moira said, "You know, Logan, Dwayne's a good guy."

"Yeah, I know."

"So buck up and stop sulking about getting invited to a nice party by your very desirable boyfriend."

"I'm not…" Moira cut him off with a glare.

"Fine," he said. He put down the magazine and stared out the window instead.

"Did I remember to tell Frank about the water pump in the calving barn?"

"I don't know. What about it?"

"It's real sticky, you have to wiggle it when you pump."

"Frank's been giving extra help on our ranch for years. I'm sure he'll figure it out, even if you didn't tell him. Stop worrying."

"Okay, okay."

"If Dwayne had wanted to date some model or actor, I'm sure he could have, you know."

"I know."

"But he's not."

"Okay, I get it."

"I'm just not sure that you get it. It's not like you to be like this."

"Like what?"

"Overthinking things. The Logan I know takes things pretty much at face value. Face value here says Dwayne's into you."

"I'm not--"

"Please, don't lie to me, Logan."

"Fine. It's just… weird."

"Life's weird, Logan."

"Mm. True."

Moira reached over and squeezed his hand once, then retracted it. She said, "Life's weird, but that doesn't mean it's always bad. Sometimes good things happen, and you can just enjoy them." 

They didn't normally have conversations like this, but Logan supposed Moira was about as close to him as anybody. He supposed maybe she did have a point, and decided to have another drink while he considered things.

In Denver, they had some time to kill before their connecting flight to LAX. Logan browsed a newsstand and self-consciously purchased a Men's Health magazine with Dwayne on the cover. He sat at the gate and read it. Dwayne talked about his diet and fitness routine. He said, "To get ready for my role in _Spurs and Saddles_ , I spent some time in Wyoming working on a ranch. I've got nothing but respect for real ranchers--they put in a hard day's work, every day. I'd suggest ranch work as an alternative to my gym routine, but only for the truly bold."

Logan smiled to himself and kept reading. Later in the magazine, the interviewer asked Dwayne, "Anything to say about the rumors there's something going on between you and your _Spurs and Saddles_ costar Eva Longoria?"

"Just rumors," Dwayne told the magazine. "Eva's a great actress and a great friend, but that's all."

Logan reminded himself that this was the reality of Hollywood. People tossed around rumors like this all the time. He was sure it meant nothing. He threw away the magazine and spent the flight to LA watching the in flight movie, which featured Dwayne and some kids having adventures on a mysterious island. It was the first one of Dwayne's movies Logan had actually watched, and it was kind of a weird experience, but not unenjoyable.

At LAX, Moira was swept away by an imposing black man with an eyepatch, who Logan supposed must be Nick Fury, the man with whom Moira spent all her time on the phone. She pried herself away long enough to say, "I'll see you tomorrow night, bye!"

Nick said, "You must be Logan. I'm Nick, it's nice to meet you." He shook Logan's hand and added, "There's a driver for you, Logan." He nodded toward a uniformed man holding a sign that read "LOGAN."

Logan nodded and introduced himself to the driver, who led him out to a black SUV. The driver opened the door, revealing Dwayne sitting in the back. Logan smiled and climbed in next to him.

"Sorry," Dwayne said. "I would have gone in to meet you myself, but it can... cause delays."

"I get it. Your adoring fans."

Dwayne smiled and bent down for a kiss. "Normally I'm happy to meet them, but I didn't want to wait any longer than necessary to do that."

"Yeah," Logan agreed.

Dwayne put down the partition, and they made out in the backseat all the way to Dwayne's house. Logan felt like a teenager again. 

When they stepped out into the sun, Logan's eyes widened. He'd known Dwayne was a movie star and obviously had some money, but somehow it had never really clicked that his house would be a fucking mansion. "Wow," he said.

Dwayne shrugged. "Yeah, c'mon in, I'll show you around." 

The first stop on the tour turned out to be Dwayne's bedroom, where they fucked on Dwayne's enormous bed. 

Afterward, Logan lay curled against Dwayne's broad, smooth chest. "I missed you, Logan," Dwayne said.

"Yeah. Me, too."

After a pause, they both started talking at once. "Hey, I--" They laughed. Logan said, "You go."

"Well, I wanted to ask you, about tomorrow… how you wanted to be introduced to the press. We hadn't really talked about it. I didn't want to have this conversation over the phone."

"Oh. Logan Howlett is fine."

Dwayne laughed deeply. Logan felt it through his cheek, still pressed against Dwayne's chest. "I mean, you can be the rancher who helped me research the movie… or you can be my boyfriend. But it's up to you."

"I don't... it doesn't matter to me, I guess." Dwayne said nothing, and Logan said, "I mean… I'm not good at this. I didn't mean it like that. It matters. But I mean, you're the one people care about… you're the one who will have to talk to magazines about it. About us."

"I don't give a fuck what magazines say. But I know you're not… comfortable in the public eye, so…"

"Well… whatever you want is fine."

"No, Logan, I want you to tell me what you want."

"I guess... " Logan hesitated. He wasn't used to being asked. He was used to either doing what he wanted, or to doing what he had to do. Dwayne waited patiently. "I guess it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. If people knew we were a thing."

"I'm flattered," Dwayne said. He sounded mostly joking, but also a little hurt.

Logan sighed. "Sorry. I'm really not good at… at this."

"You're doing fine. Just try again. Try phrasing it positively, instead of like I've got a gun to your head."

"Okay. Um. Yes, I want to go to your premiere as… as your date. As your boyfriend. Please?"

Dwayne's arm tightened around him. "Good."

Logan nuzzled into Dwayne's neck and was swatted away. "Hey, my stylist will be _pissed_ if I show up with hickeys tomorrow. Mine don't heal instantly like yours do."

Logan sighed, and Dwayne said, "I know. It's not all fun and games dating a movie star. But let me show you the Jacuzzi."

Logan followed Dwayne and was forced to concur that there were some pretty good perks to dating a movie star.

The next day, he was reminded of the downsides. He and Dwayne met with stylists, tailors, and Lydia, Dwayne's publicist. The last was the worst. She took Dwayne's announcement that Logan was his date in stride, but then spent over an hour trying to coach Logan in "media readiness." Dwayne watched and laughed.

Lydia kept giving Logan pretend interview questions, and Logan kept indignantly insisting that those questions were "nobody's goddamn business."

"Liddie, easy, how about if we just take a few pictures tonight and then later on we'll do a joint interview. _People_ , maybe," Dwayne said. "There's no reason why Logan should have to give any interviews by himself."

Relieved, Lydia said, "That's not the worst idea. I'm sure _People_ would be thrilled to have the exclusive."

"Just tell them they're not allowed to make _Brokeback Mountain_ jokes," Dwayne said.

"Got it," Lydia said seriously, typing a note into her phone. "Logan… if anyone asks you anything tonight, just please, please, say 'No comment.' Okay?"

"Yeah, I think I can handle that."

"Fantastic," Lydia said. She glanced at her phone. "Oh! Well, Teri should be coming by any moment now with your altered tuxes, and then it'll be just about time for you to leave for tonight's event."

"Perfect," Dwayne said. He smiled at her broadly and said, "We'll be fine until then, thanks."

Lydia took her cue to leave, and Dwayne kissed Logan. "You'll be fine," he said. "A lot of why people like me--like the public image of me--is that I'm plainspoken and honest. You're like that, but… moreso."

"That's one way of putting it," Logan mused.

Then Teri arrived and started getting them ready. Logan wanted to protest that he was a grown man and he could dress himself, but earlier that day he'd learned that it wasn't true. Still, he protested, "It's a movie about ranchers. Can't I just wear my normal clothes?"

Teri laughed. "Nope," she said cheerfully. "Maybe next time."

"I think flannel's making a comeback," Dwayne offered.

"I'll let you know when it comes back to black tie events," Teri said. 

Logan sighed and accepted his fate. He had to admit that Dwayne looked pretty goddamn good in his tux, and he said so.

Dwayne smiled. "I do, don't I? And you will too, as soon as you stop squirming long enough to let Teri do your tie. Oh, for God's sake, just let me do it."

He leaned down and tied Logan's bow tie, then turned to Teri for approval. "That's good, right?"

"Works for me. Oh, I forgot something," she said, and opened a round box she'd brought in. She placed a new black cowboy hat on his head. "Perfect."

"I brought my own hat," Logan protested.

"I saw it earlier. Your old hat smells like garbage. You can wear this one, or no hat. Which do you want?"

"This hat," Logan mumbled.

"Good. You're welcome." She checked her phone. "Okay, your driver should be here any minute now. He'll buzz when he's ready."

"Thanks, Teri, you're the best," Dwayne said.

After she left, Logan said, "So this is what your life is like?"

Dwayne shrugged. "Sometimes." He looked at Logan and added, "On the bright side, there's very little chance of us freezing to death tonight."

Logan smiled back. "I guess that's true."

Then the house's intercom buzzed, and Dwayne put an arm around Logan and led him out to the house's circle drive, where a limo was waiting. Dwayne opened the door for Logan and he climbed in the back, where he was surprised to see Moira and Nick waiting.

"Wow," he said. "Moira, you look… wow."

"Yup," Nick said, smugly.

"Thanks, Logan, same to you. I don't think I've ever seen you not wear flannel."

"I asked if I could," Logan admitted.

"By the way, Dwayne, Lydia called me," Nick said. "I can't believe you would tell her before you told me!"

"Sorry, Nick, it kinda just happened," Dwayne said. "Heat of the moment."

"I mean, I've been your agent for _how_ many years, and I'm the one who sent you to Moira's ranch in the first place, and I had to hear this from Lydia?" Nick shook his head. "But for real, congratulations."

"I'll be sure to give you credit in _People_ ," Dwayne said drily.

Logan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out and saw that he had received one text from Moira. It read, "TOLD YOU SO :P"

He looked across the limo at her. She smiled and slipped her phone back into her clutch.

Moira said, "Hey, Dwayne. I never asked. What's your movie like? Does it have a happy ending?"

Dwayne glanced at Logan. He smiled his movie-star smile and said, "Yeah, I think so."


End file.
